Prof. David R. Henderson, co-chair of Libertarians for Peace, will be one of two speakers discussing the U.S., Iran and the threat to peace. The event is on Thursday, April 18 at 7:30 PM at the Irvine Auditorium, Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) at 499 Pierce Street in Monterey. The program is free and open to the public.

David R. Henderson: "The Perverse Economics of Sanctions" David R. Henderson is a research fellow with the Hoover Institution and a Professor of Economics at the Naval Postgraduate School. Sponsored by the Peace Coalition of Monterey County and Amnesty International.

Stephen Zunes: "Hegemony, Repression and the Nuclear Standoff" Stephen Zunes is a Professor of Politics and International Studies at the University of San Francisco, where he chairs the program in Middle Eastern Studies. He is recognized as one of the country’s leading scholars of U.S. Middle East policy and strategic nonviolent action.

(1) Hollywood premiere of Silver Circle, an independent animated action film, which pits a group of underground rebels against the oppressive Federal Reserve while creating a guerilla currency based on silver. Antiwar.com will be on hand hosting a raffle before the screening begins Sunday, April 7 at 1pm in the Laemmle NoHo 7 Theaters 5240 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601. Get your tickets here.

A nationwide, month-long campaign of counter-drone teach-ins, rallies and protest, called "April Days of Action" by its organizers, will challenge the escalated use of drones for targeted assassination by the Obama Administration as well as domestic surveillance by police agencies around the United States. The actions will call for a total halt to drone killing and surveillance.

The Network for Stopping Drone Spying and Warfare plans April Days of Action 2013 to generate a public uprising across the United States to stop drone spying and drone warfare.

April 4-6: Drone Manufacturers Identify and protest drone manufacturing facilities, using demonstrations, teach-ins and other actions calling for an end to drone attacks and an end to the manufacture of weaponized and surveillance drones.

San Diego – April 4-7: protest at the plant of General Atomics, maker of the Predator and Reaper drones, the workhorses of drone killing.

April 16-18: Drone Research/Training Identify colleges and universities in their regions doing drone research and/or training of drone pilots and to call for an end to research and training related to drone warfare.

April 27-28: Drone Bases Protest at Air Force and National Guard bases which control the U.S. military drone program in their regions.

April 26-28: protest at the Reaper drones based at Hancock Air Base near Syracuse, NY.

Want to be part of the drones protest action that’s happening in state after state? Connect with other members of No Drones Network! People in areas across the country are making big plans for the April Days of Action to Stop the Drones!

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This week's top news:

Brennan Confirmed After Rand Paul’s Anti-Drone Filibuster: After it was delayed in a historic filibuster led by Senator Rand Paul that drew unprecedented attention to the administration’s expansive powers in the drone war, the vote count was 63-34. Rand Paul voted against confirmation.

Western Diplomats: Iran Talks Made Progress: Iranian officials had expressed similar optimism about the talks, calling them a major turning point and saying that for basically the first time in years of talks Western nations seem interested in serious negotiations and making an actual deal, as opposed to just threatening invasion and railing on about their demands.